The pay is the same - satisfaction, fame or notoriety, a soap box. That's OK. I asked Wally Haas. He agreed. Wow! I've been hired. You'll see my columns on Fridays about twice a month.

Just to be clear, what I just wrote contradicts the image I like to project - an "elder" putting narcissism behind me. I'm inspired by the book "Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Haves of Life" by Richard Rohr. You won't live forever, so put your egocentric ego aside. Focus on what really counts. Ask: Why am I here? What's it all about? What can I really do to make a difference in this world?

I want to make a difference. My guest columns reveal my passions. I seek a way of communicating that really works: "Nonviolent Communication." I try to think, talk and listen for needs rather than judgments, diagnoses, or LABELS. I try, but as a friend once said, "Triers are liars."

Hmm. I started out by labeling myself a "columnist."

I've written columns on gun policy. I hate the term "gun control," a phrase that can scare gun owners and strengthen the gun lobby. The words we choose have a real impact. Advocacy groups are getting wise to this: "Gun Sense," "Mayors Against Illegal Guns," and "Americans for Responsible Solutions."

I'm disappointed that we haven't come up with powerful, reliable popular ways to stop attackers, ways that don't cause permanent harm to the person. Everybody ought to be able to do that - including soldiers, for heaven's sake. We humans have a great deal of wealth and creativity, and it's about time we develop and popularize such devices or techniques.

I'm best known for my commitment to racial equity and connection, overcoming institutional racism. As future columns will show, it goes way beyond race, and yet the most blatant manifestation of how we humans miss the mark of respecting everyone is in how we handle race. While the behavior of individuals is very important, note that I used the term "INSTITUTIONAL racism."

It's our structures, our institutions that keep the playing field from being flat. Most white people don't have a clue about this.

We whites have the privilege of not having to even think about the playing field because we're not on the bottom. Take note: Recognizing our rank, our privilege, can help if we forgo guilt and explore solutions.

Everyone can notice inequities, the unearned privileges whites have, and whites can explore how we can improve the situation instead of staying stuck in survivor's guilt. Let's get creative.

I hope you, the reader, aren't an anti-columnist. Probably not; you're reading this. I was once an anti-communist, and I've joined anti-racist groups. But I learned long ago that being anti-ANYTHING isn't as productive as being pro the ALTERNATIVE.

Page 2 of 2 - I tell parents, it's better to say, "Be careful how you hold that glass," than to say "don't spill your milk!" Oops! People tend to miss the "don't" or the "anti" or even "non" as in "nonVIOLENCE." When I really think about it, sometimes I can figure out what I want rather than focusing on what I want to avoid. Make sense to you?

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